Roads were closed and some people were evacuated out of reach of high seas around the East Cape coast yesterday as a weakened Cyclone Pam passed by.
The aftermath on Tolaga Bay beach after Cyclone Pam passed through. Photo: RNZ / Alexander Robertson
And while the storm also disrupted fruit and vegetable harvesting in the Gisborne region, farmers were left smiling at the quote "bloody good" rain they received.
One of those was sheep and beef farmer Kirsty Shaw at Matawai, in the hills mid-way between Gisborne and Opotiki.
"Oh look it's been steady rain and it's been wonderful, if this is cyclone weather we'll take it. We've been pretty dry over this summer, we're in a summer safe area but not this summer, or probably not the last three summers, people have been very worried around here. The rain sort of started coming in early yesterday evening and it didn't thump down which was great, just steady rain last night and heavier during today so by about half past one we had about 90 mils so everybody's got smiles on their faces."
